Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Old Testament options are stories of perfidious people (one alleged to be a man after after God’s own heart), each arranging for the death of an inconvenient person. Naboth had no desire to surrender his vineyard, nor should he have. And Uriah was a good commander and a loyal husband. In each case there were divine judgment and consequences. Ahab’s dynasty fell. Jezebel died. David faced internal political troubles. And the first child of David and Bathsheba died. That an innocent suffered troubles me; one does not ask one’s parents to conceive one. But at least David, when confronted, expressed remorse.

The sinful woman (not St. Mary of Magdala, by the way) in Luke 7 was both remorseful and repentant. Her act of gratitude was sincere, if not dignified. Yet she did not care about appearances, nor should she have.

In Pauline theology faith is inherently active. In the Letter of James, in contrast, faith is intellectualized. This need not prove confusing. Choose a word–such as “faith” or “day” or “believe,” O reader. How many meanings do you attach to each word? And how many ways have you heard others use those same words? Biblical writers did not always attach the same meaning to a given word either. Anyhow, as I was saying, in Pauline theology faith is inherently active. As a person thinks, so he or she behaves. So, in Pauline theology, faith saves us from our sinful selves and grace–God’s unearned favor–justifies us with God. So, after we have sinned, we still have hope. That is excellent news.

Yet do we forgive ourselves? God forgives the remorseful and repentant. Many of our fellow human beings forgive us. And do we forgive those who have expressed remorse and who have repented?

As Brother Theo, a Roman Catholic monk and a character in Babylon 5 (1994-1998), a wonderful series, said in Passing Through Gethsemane, a profound episode, said of forgiveness,

I don’t anything can ever be more difficult.

Theo continued,

I believe you were saying that forgiveness is a hard thing but something ever to strive for, were you not, Captain?

Here ends the lesson, and I need to learn it at least as much as many others do.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JULY 12, 2012 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF DESIDERIUS ERASMUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN

THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN GUALBERT, FOUNDER OF THE VALLOMBROSAN BENEDICTINES